Packers News: Dujuan Harris to IR

The Packers have announced that running back Dujuan Harris has been placed on IR, ending his 2013 season before it even started. This perhaps culminates a star-crossed offseason for Harris, who coming in to the offseason looked like the Packers starter. During the training camp physical, a fist sized cyst was found in Harris’ lung which forced him to miss much of the beginning of training camp. Once allowed to return, Harris was again hobbled by a knee injury, which finally looked behind Harris coming into the 3rd preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, Harris appears to have re-injured the same knee in the 2nd quarter and did not return to the game.

Afterwards, Harris sought out a second opinion and apparently the news did not come back well and thus Mike McCarthy has announced that Harris will be placed on IR. No news has been announced if the Packers will decide to use the IR/Designated to Return tag on Harris, which would allow him to return after week 6 of the regular season.

With Harris out, Eddie Lacy presumably becomes the defacto starting running back with Johnathan Franklin, Alex Green and James Starks as backups.

It’s sad and disheartening to see Harris on IR. I really liked the spark he brought to the game. It’s only a matter of weeks before Stark’s get’s injured and we have to rely on people that have already shown that they are not star quality.
Franklin has not done a thing in camp and seems to be a deer staring into the headlights of the NFL car. I hope he turns it around because he has great potential.
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Thomas Hobbes

Well, it’s not like the Packers have had a star running back since Ryan Grant/Ahamn Green and they’ve done pretty well regardless. Still sucks for Harris to be sure.

Batavia Greg

Following the Seattle pre-season game, several commenters to Sunday’s post thought that the 5 injuries to the Packers in the game may be no more than “minor tweaks and pulls” and “nothing to be concerned about.” Now, TT may have to keep both Starks and Green. Pray for Eddie Lacy’s fused big toe and pray that we don’t suffer any more “minor tweaks and pulls” in the last exhibition against KC.

Thomas Hobbes

I agree, usually it’s only bad news if the Packers aren’t quick to say something. I will say that psychologically you remember the bad events more than the good, so there have been plenty of “minor tweaks and pulls” that have ultimately ended up as minor, only we forget because it didn’t make an impact for us. Take for instance, Jermichael Finley, who also suffered an injury in the 2nd quarter of the Seachickens game. I doubt most people even remember that he left at this point.

Batavia Greg

Thanks for the consoling words, Thomas. It is also consoling to know that Casey Hayward returned to practice today after “re-tweaking” his hamstring against Seattle. It has gotten to the point, however, where I think it is smarter for a team to keep its sure starters on the sidelines throughout these exhibition games, letting the rookies and those competing for roster spots play every series. That may upset some of the paying customers, though. Also, perhaps the number of pre-season games should be reduced to 2 or 3 at most. These exhibition games are meaningless except for roster determinations and the injuries in them that affect the regular season.

Thomas Hobbes

I think Mike McCarthy was ahead of the curve when it came to sitting Rodgers after 1 drive on the 3rd preseason game. if you see how many players are being placed on IR/PUP right now, injuries are endemic to the NFL. I agree teams are going to start pulling their starters sooner and sooner, if the paying public actually starts complaining then the NFL might have to do something

Batavia Greg

Sorry, but I spoke too soon about Hayward. It was Tramon Williams who returned to Monday’s practice. It was announced today that Hayward and Morgan Burnett will miss the KC pre-season game.

Dobber

Congratulations, Mr. Kuhn: your roster spot is now assured.

Thomas Hobbes

I think Kuhn was probably going to make it, even with Harris on the roster. I think congratulations are probably in order for either Alex Green or James Starks, I wasn’t convinced that either would make the cut and now at least one has a really good shot of making it.

I’m SO FRIGGING SICK of injuries hammering MM’s teams!!! To see such potential ruined annually is beyond a sucker punch to the nuts. Not only does this suck for Harris, but it sucks for the quality of the team as a whole.

And it’s not like we have Harell, Sherrod, Bulaga, Neal, Tramon, Collins, Woodson, Starks, Burnett and hell even CM3 who’ve missed SUBSTANTIAL time because of seemingly “minor” tweaks in the not-to-distant-past. Every time anyone goes down I automatically expect the worst, because the worst is almost ALWAYS the case. Injuries have ruined too many recent Packers players lives. They’ve ruined several promising seasons. They’ve wrecked many a Packer fan’s hopes. EVERY FRIGGEN YEAR. I, as a fan who pays good money to support my team every day, want it figured out. I want the factors causing it, whether programmatic, material or human to be remedied. And I want it done NOW.

There. Self Righteous fan drama expended. I feel (slightly) better.

Thomas Hobbes

Hey it could be worse: you could be a Lions fan, who are a dumpster fire of a organization top to bottom and can’t seem to get out of their own way. I’d rather root for a team that gets hurt than a team that constantly shoots itself in the foot due to immaturity and stupidity.

That’s very true. But at least immaturity its eas(ier) to point the blame and remove the problem(s). If you fire Matt Millen, your football team just did addition by subtracting the idiot.

The maddening thing about this injury situation is that no one can figure out what’s causing the problems. I refuse to believe it’s bad luck for going on 6 years now.

Something, or someone is causing this problem. And it blows goats.

Thomas Hobbes

The Packers aren’t hit by injuries any more than any other team, I think it’s mainly two factors, 1) we pay a lot more attention to the Packers than any other team hence we feel like the Packers are more injured than any other team 2) The Packers are however unlucky at who gets injured, as the Packers lead the league in losing games from starters apparently according to football outsiders. I can’t think of any reason why Packers starters would be more susceptible to injuries than any other starters in the league. Maybe it’s because so many players ultimately end up starting with the Packers draft a develop strategy. For instance the injuries to James Starks last year could technically be counted as a starter losing a game, but really that is a formality rather than an actual game issue.

I disagree with your 1st one. Steeler fans are nutso too. And there is a smaller group of fans in every team that follow fanatically.

Thomas Hobbes

Right, the difference is that we aren’t nutso about the Steelers hence we don’t pay attention/notice Steelers injuries and have less of an emotional attachment to the players. I’m sure if we were Steeler fans we be up in arms about how we have no tight end depth due to injuries or how big a losing a starting guard is etc. etc. Like if Peyton Manning were go get injured Broncos fans would be going crazy, for us it would be like “wow that sucks, whatever”

Big T

I have been trying to tell people for years now that there are big problems with the strength and conditioning coaches for the Packers organization. Denial can be a weakening characteristic. Injuries will happen from time to time. Packers have led the league in that department for years. It is time for a change. Maybe Aaron’s dad should come and adjust all of the players. (Injuries would probably go down considerably)

Thomas Hobbes

I will say, I do feel like the Packers are more cautious with their players than most (see Colt McCoy and the Browns). I don’t know if you are going to criticize them for being on the high side of caution with a individuals health.

SchenySchen

I think they will keep Lacy,Franklin and Green. Kuhn will also stay as insurance. Starks will still get cut. It saves us a roster spot for an additional D-lineman. Congratulations Jordan Miller, Harris’ loss may be your gain. GoPack!

Mojo

Losing Harris really sucks because I don’t know if anyone else has his cut-back ability and vision to see holes that others just didn’t.

What I noticed from him last year was if the hole was closed in front of him, he was still able to spot an opening on the backside and get there in a hurry. Quick cutting hard runner with a low center of gravity. There’s no other RB like him on our roster.

He would have been a great person to pair with Lacy. And as usual – out for the season!

Since ’61

Injury bug still lives with this team. It’s very unfortunate that we never get to see this team in a real game as a complete entity. I am concerned that pulling Rodgers after one series is a no confidence sign for the O-line. The real games will prove this out, one way or another. At this point I would be fine if no starters play against KC. Go Pack Go !

Thomas Hobbes

I rather say it was less a vote of no confidence on the O-line rather more a vote of no confidence on the backup QB. They knew what they have in Rodgers and I’m not sure the “shaking off rust” idea is relevant anymore. Back when Lombardi was the coach, players often had to work during the offseason just to have enough food on the table, if I recall Lombardi often players jobs as bank tellers or painters to keep them in Green Bay. Now, with every player making enough to make football a viable year long job, all these guys are training and working on their football skills during the offseason, so there isn’t as much “rust” as there was before. Sure, they need some time to work together and gel, but I don’t think it takes them 4 preseason games to do so (and neither does any NFL team, most of the starters only play maybe 10 series the entire preseason).

Anyways, going back on topic, they really needed to see if Harrell could lead the team should Rodgers get hurt and the best test is to put Harrell with the starters and see what happens, a lot of times it becomes hard to measure a players’ performance if they are surrounded by inferior talent, for instance BJ Coleman might be a lot better than he has showed but he has to work with the scout team offensive line and wide receivers that are likely not going to make the team.

Slim11

The way the Packers handle conditioning is much the same as any other NFL team. The Packers did fire their first strength and conditioning coach under McCarthy. Big T is right in that game conditioning is lacking. The current CBA makes game conditioning (hitting and padded practices)much more difficult.

As far as changing the number of preseason games, Mark Murphy says the issue is almost dead now. This is according to a NFL Network report last Friday.

Wagszilla

Hey remember when I said the Strength and Conditioning coach had to go and I got a bunch of down votes?

That was pretty funny.

GBPDAN

A real bummer, Harris was our shifty change up back to go with Lacey. To bad Franklin hasn’t shown much, otherwise this wouldn’t be so bad